Nobody knows the ins and outs of your team’s robust services and certified skills quite like you do. And when it comes time to convey all of the reasons your potential customers should trust you, actions will always speak louder than words.
Thus, what better way to let technology do the work to inspect mold and construct a comprehensive inspection with solutions based on the information? In this blog, we talk about five steps every mold inspector should follow and how InstaScope can be used in your inspection process.
Step #1 – Evaluate The Environment & Take Samples
Mold can be visible, but it can also be airborne. That is why sampling the air for mold beyond just visual inspection is imperative. The first step is and always should be to evaluate the property in question for the cause of the mold growth. Use InstaScope to take samples of every room and if any spikes occur in a particular area, source track it to get a better idea of the source. Investigate the immediate surroundings to determine whether or not any leaks may be present, be it the result of plumbing complications or other structural deficiencies in the surrounding windows and/or walls.
Also inspect your customer’s ceiling for water stains, as they may indicate roof damage. Be sure to also recommend they invest in routine HVAC maintenance as a means of managing their indoor humidity and air filtration.
Step #2 – Communicate With The Tenants/Residents
Once you have identified both the location of the mold and the catalyst(s) for the mold growth, you’ll want to compile a report for your customers. Ideally, this would include:
- The mold site(s)
- The size of the mold area (preferably in square feet, according to the EPA)
- What surfaces/items may have accumulated water damage
- What surfaces/items need to be disposed of as a result of contamination
- A detailed description of what caused the mold growth
The great thing about InstaScope is that this can all be done on-site during the inspection, saving your customers and yourself or your employees the need for follow-up appointments!
Step #3 – Suggest/Implement Repairs As Necessary
Along with your mold report, you may want to provide your customers with actionable recommendations for remediation and ongoing air quality assessments, per your investigation.
This would include identifying what repairs may be necessary based on your findings, as well as a list of recommended businesses they may contact to complete the repairs or remediate as necessary.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends cleaning and drying the site immediately (or within 24 to 48 hours), especially if the mold growth in question has arisen as a result of flooding damage or another such disaster. We would also recommend providing regular air quality assessments for customers to monitor more than just mold levels, but also bacteria, viruses, and pollen.
Step #4 – Schedule A Mold Remediation
Similarly to step #3, we urge you to provide your customers with a list of recommended hazard remediation businesses with which they can schedule. If time is of the essence, you may also offer them a timeline or window within which they should adhere to your suggestions.
That being said, if you are a remediation company, then step #4 is simple: Schedule with your customers to immediately begin the process of removing hazardous materials and contaminants from the site. Use InstaScope at every stage of your remediation process to gauge “before and afters,” verify that your equipment was working, and show your customers that the job was “cleaned.”
Step #5 – Construct A Mold Mitigation Strategy
Finally, the last box you’ll want to cross off of your mold management checklist is that of mitigation. Once all is said and done and the property has been restored to optimal condition, your customers will want it to stay that way.
You’ll want to provide them with strategies and suggestions for keeping mold growth to a
minimum. If you are an indoor air quality company, you may want to schedule with your clients to perform a remediation verification assessment.
Using a state-of-the-art biofluorescent chamber, InstaScope is designed to test and measure the air’s biological loads in various spaces. Additionally, with unlimited sampling capabilities and report generation in real-time, you can easily compare test results and particle concentrations on-site.
Regardless of whether your customers are in residential homes or commercial buildings, InstaScope will ensure you are well-equipped to guide them through the mold and airborne contaminant management journey.
To learn more about how the InstaScope can help you verify and enhance your business’s capabilities, contact DetectionTek today by calling 720-410-7030 or emailing info@instascope.co!
